Abstract
Calcifications are products of mineralization whose presence is usually associated with pathological conditions. The minerals mostly seen in several diseases are calcium oxalate (CaC2O4), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hydroxyapatite (HAp). Up to date, there is no in vivo method that could discriminate between minerals. To this aim, a dual energy x-ray method was developed in the present study. An analytical model was implemented for the determination of the Calcium/Phosphorus mass ratio (). The simulation was carried out using monoenergetic and polyenergetic x-rays and various calcification thicknesses (100–1000 ) and types (CaC2O4, CaCO3, HAp). The experimental evaluation of the method was performed using the optimized irradiation conditions obtained from the simulation study. X-ray tubes, combined with energy dispersive and energy integrating (imaging) detectors, were used for the determination of the in phantoms of different mineral types and thicknesses. Based on the results of the experimental procedure, statistical significant difference was observed between the different types of minerals when calcification thicknesses were 300 or higher.
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